BEIRUT: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun says Lebanon is seeking a security agreement with Israel tied to an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, while his government pushes to disarm Hezbollah and avoid a new confrontation.
Beirut also looks for international support to prevent a security vacuum after U.N. peacekeepers leave. Aoun said Lebanon wants a new international force to help maintain security in southern Lebanon after the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), expires at the end of December.
The European Union has said it supports continued international involvement in Lebanon after UNIFIL's mandate ends. The Lebanese president called on the United States, European countries and Arab nations to support the Lebanese Armed Forces as they expand their presence across the south.
Joseph Aoun is also expected to take part in international efforts aimed at building support for Lebanon's military deployment. Aoun said he would accept an international force made up of European, American, U.N., Asian or Arab troops, or a combination of them.
“Whatever the nature of this force, that poses no problem for me,” Aoun said.
His comments come as Lebanon and Israel work under a U.S.-brokered framework agreement reached in June. The agreement calls for Hezbollah's disarmament and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory. The European Union and France have welcomed the framework and said it should help restore Lebanon's sovereignty and reduce tensions.
Furthermore, he said such an arrangement could serve as an initial step, but Lebanon was not prepared to rush into a full peace agreement with Israel. The issue of Hezbollah remains central to the negotiations. Aoun said Lebanon is committed to bringing all weapons under state control and disarming the Iran-backed group.
He has previously said the process requires an Israeli withdrawal, full control of the territory by the Lebanese Army and a state-led reconstruction effort. However, the process remains difficult. Hezbollah has rejected the agreement's conditions and has demanded an Israeli withdrawal before giving up its weapons, while Israel has continued military operations in parts of southern Lebanon.
Further U.S.-mediated talks between Lebanon and Israel are expected to continue. The EU has already committed financial assistance to strengthen the Lebanese Armed Forces.
